Tin-can-soldering machine



(No Model.)

'I'. W.v EDWARDS.

TIN GAN SOLDBRING MAGBINE.

No'. 301,579 Patented July 8, 1884.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. P. W. EDWARDS.

TIN CAN SOLDBRING MACHINE.

No. 301,579.. Patented July 8, 1884.

N. PETERS. Phowumogmplm. washington. D. C.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)` v

P. W. EDWARDS.

TIN GAN SOLDBRING MAGHNE. No. 301,579. Patented July 8, 1884.

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- -Sheets--Shreet 4. I'. W. EDWARDS.

,TIN GAN SOLDERING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

Patented July 8, 184.

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(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5. F. W. EDWARDS.

TIN GAN SOLDBRING MACHINE.

10.301,579. Patented July 8, 1884.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

FRANK WV. EDWARDS,` OF TlURl-JOV, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIN-CAN-SOLDERING MACHINE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,579, dated July 8, 1884.

Application dled February 2l, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK W. EDWARDS, of Thurlow, county of Delaware, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Tin-Can-Soldering Machines, of which the following .is a specification. i

My invention has `reference to tiu-eansoldering machines; and it consists in certain devices adapted to treat the two diagonally-op# positie edges of a cubical can first with acid and then with solder,whereby one edge of the body is soldered and then the other, the said operations being performed automatically and in a continuous manner, and in many details of construction, all of which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

Ilhe object oi' my invention is to provide suitable automatic mechanism adapted to haudle tin cans in such a way that their bodyseanis are soldered and the cans delivered in a continuous manner one after the other in close succession, `the heads being soldered to said body by means of a machine set forth in another pending application.

In the drawings, Figurel is a side elevation of a can-soldering machine embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view oi' same on line ai x. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevationof one-half of saine on line jz/ y, and shows the cans in the act of being soldered. Fig. 4

Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the heads used to turn the can after having one seam soldered, showing the two parts forming said heads separated. Fig. 6 isa cross-section showing how the tincan edge nsets down into the acid or solder trough. Fig. 7 is a crosssection through the conveyer-chain and its guides. Fig. 8 is a cross-section through a can-body adapted to be soldered by this machine. Fig. 9 is a crosssection on line w, and shows the friction device to prevent spinning of the head, which turns the can: Fig. l0 is a sectional elevation ofthe rear half of the machine, taken on line t t oi' Fig. 11. Fig. 1l is a sectional plan view of same on line s s. Fig.12 is aside elevation of the solder-wiper, in which a blast of air or gas under pressure is used; and Fig. 13 is a plan view of same.

A is the frame of the machine.

A is a horizontal table formed ci iron fram- 2.A2 is a hood adapted to cover the upper part of the entire machine, and terminates in a stack, A3.'

The table A may be conceived as being divided into five sections, two of which are utilized to .apply acid to the cans, and two solder, and the fth located in the middle, being provided with mechanism to revolve the can, to bring the diagonally-opposite seam into position to receive acid and solder from the next two sections.

B are the acid-troughs, and C the soldering apparatus,which consists of the solder-trough C', iuclosed in a sheet-iron case, C2, and kept hot by means of a furnace or gas-burners, G3, which receive a supply of air by pipe c, and gas by pipe c', the respective supplies being controlled by valves c2.

The cans O, after having their headsv clamped on, are ready for soldering, andare fed into the machine from a troipgh, f, (indicated in dotted lines.) These cans are received in the machine on a V-shaped trough, F, and are fed therefrom through the machine by bars or rods h, secured to the endless chains .G and guided by rails H. These chains G run over sprocket-wheels I, and may be driven by a band-wheel, J5. For convenience the chains pass over the machine in one direction in contact with the cans; but in returning they are carried up within the hood A2 and back to the starting-point. The cans O, as they are pushed along by the rods h, (see Fig. 3,) are kept in .the proper position by guide-rails E and D,

which rails are slightly depressed, as at o d. They pass over the acid and soldering troughs B and C', to allow the seams o of the cans to dip down iirst into the acid and then into the solder. Owing to the solder being of a very high specific gravity, it is desirable to press the can down into it as it passes through to insure the. seam being thoroughly iilled with solder. To do this I provide an invertedf\- shaped guide, J, having its ends j curved upward, to allow the ready entrance of the can. This guide is provided with rods J', which are guided vertically in tubes J, and allow of a vertical movement to the guide J, which latter is prevented from falling by pins j', which work in lslots 42.

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Springs J* tend to press the guide J down upon the canas it passes under, thereby insuring its entrance into the solder.

These-tubes or rods J 2 are adjustably secured.

to the frame A, as at J,so as to adjust the guide J to a nicety. After having one seam o soldered, the cans are moved. up the inclined parts D" of the rails D, and during this operation the excess of solder may be wiped off by a wiper, N, and collected in a box, n, thereby saving solder and improving the appearance of the seam. r[he wiper may be made of any spongy or soft material,l which presses against the seam of the can; or a blast of air or steam or any gas may be blown against the freshly-soldered seam, as shown in Fig. 10, in which nozzles N, having slits N2, are-directed against the can as it rises out of the solder, and blows the excess back to the rear edge of the seam and off into the solder trough or a boX, leaving a highly-finished seam. This air or gas is preferably heated by passing first by a pipe, n', through the furnace or heating apparatus for the solder-trough, to prevent any possibility of chilling the solder on the seam, and its supply and pressure may be regulated by a valve, N3. As the can is moved forward, it rises and leaves the rails E, but is sustained against lateral displacement by guides K, which support the can by its edges o. After being raised as far above the rods h as it was before below, the can is received vupon the horizontal part D2 of rails D, which terminate in a cross-bar, d2, to prevent the can moving too far into the reversing devices L. As the can is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the arm P is suddenly tripped by shaft P, cam p, and arm p', and a spring pulls it quickly against the can, causing the latter to beprojected forward into the jaws L of the reversing device, as indicated in dotted lines, and thereby give it time in which to be revolved half a revolution and discharged just as its rod ZL arrives over the stop cZ2\or center of the jaws L. After being turned over, the seam which has been soldered is now on top, and the can is pushed out of the jaws L' by rod h into the trough F', similar to F, and. the same operation of soldering this seam is now carried on as before, only in the two last sections of the machine. After the can has both of its body-seams soldered, it is raised on inclines E3 D3 and discharged into the chute M` around, the pins S2 cause them to be reciprocated back and forth at specified intervals. Vorking through the sleeves Z2 are shafts Z, which carry on their ends heads L2, provided on their faces with the reversing-jaws L, and on their backs with grooves It, preferably having obliquo floors r, terminating in the faces of 7o the heads on one end, and forming abrupt terminals at'the other. As the heads L'2 move aroundand begin their reciprocation, their pins .Itenter the grooves It, and when the pin S2 enters the straight part S of the cam- 75 The head L3 makesv brackets V and' pressed against the ends of 85 Shafts Z. Vhen the 'head L3 revolves, andbefore the pins It enter the grooves It, these pins do not touch the face of the head L2, and the said head is held stationary'by friction-clamp U, consisting of two pieces of Wood,U, clamped together by bolts u u, and prevented from turning by the bracket V. Springs I tend to keep the shafts Z against the adjusting-screws W. The longitudinal grooves of the reversing-jaws L always remain horizontal except during their revolution. The wheels I", which operate the reversing mechanism, are rotated by chains i', wheels I3 I2 I, and chain t. As the can is only fed into the jaws L half-way, when they revolve they throw the main part of the can forward, thus gaining on the traveling rods h, so that when the rod arrives at the center of the jaws the can is turned, and is pushed out of said jaws by the rod and carried onto the guide-rails E D of the last two sections. 1

In place of using an acid-trough, into which the can-seam dips, the acid may be applied with a brush or sponge or inany other suitable manner.

While I prefer this form of mechanism for turning the-can, I do not limit myself to its construction, as other devices might be used in lieu following instrumentalities in combination: an

endless carrier, an acid trough, a soldertrough, and means to keep the solder in a liquid condition, guide-rails to support said cans in a proper position and allow of their seam being dipped first in the acid and then in the solder, and finally raise the can out of the solder at an incline, and a wiper arranged close IOO to the solder-trough to wipe off the excess of 13o solder, and cause it to iiow back into the said solder-trough, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an organized machine for soldering side or panel seams of eubical tin cans, the following instrumentalities in combination: an endless carrier, an acid trough, a soldertrongh, and means to keep the solder in aliquid condition, guide-rails to support said cans in a proper position and allow of their seam being dipped first in the ac id and then in the solder, and a spring-presso'rev guide free to rise at bot-h ends, and having a Vjshaped groove upwardly turned at each end, to force the seam of the can positively down into the solder, substantially as and for the purpose spcciiied.

f3, In an organized machine for soldering Iside or panel seams of cubical tin cans, the

"'following instrumentalities in combination: an

l at both ends, and having a V-shaped groovev endless carrier, an acid trough, a soldertrough, and means to keep the solder in a liquid condition, guide-rails to support said cans in a'proper position and allow of their seam being dipped first in the acidand then in the solder, a spring-pressure guide free to rise upwardly turned at each end, to force the seam of the can positively down intol the solder, and a wiper to wipe off the excess of solder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In an organized can-soldering machine, the combination, with two sets of soldering mechanism, of intermediate mechanism to turn the can to present a fresh or unsoldered seam opposite to the seam previously soldered, to

be soldered by the second of said sets of soldering mechanism, and a carrier to move said cans along over the soldering mechanism, substantially as and for the* purpose speciiied.

5. In an organized can-soldering machine, an e11dless`carrier, in combination with two sets of soldering devices, each consisting of an acid and a solder trough,and guiderails to allow the seam of the can to dip into lsaid acid and solder during its passage overthem, and means, located between said Sets of soldering devices, for turning ascoli-revolution, the can to 4present an unsoldered seam to the second set of soldering devices, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a can-soldering machine, the combination of an endless carrier, means to apply acidto the can-seams, a solder-trough, means to keep the solder liquid, receiving-plate F, and guides to support the cans, substantially as and for the purpose specified. j

7. In a can-soldering machine, guides to support a can, in combination with an endless carrier adapted to push the can forward, and mechanism to turn said can end for end and deliver it again to` said carrier, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

S. In a can-soldering machine, guides to support a can, in combination with an endless carrier having a cross-rod adapted to push `the can forward, and mechanism to turn said can end for end and deliver it again t6 said carrier in front of the same cross-bar, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a can-soldering machine, guides to support a can, in combination with an ei'dless carrier adapted to push the can forward, mechanism to turn said can end for end and deliver it again to said carrier, and means to force said can forward into said turning mechanism with a greater velocity than the travel of the endless carrier, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

IO. In atin-can-soldering machine, the combination of carrier G, having rods h, rails H, guides E D D' D? K, acid-trough B, soldertrough C', means to keep the solder hot, jaws L', and means to give them intermittent semirevolutions, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ll. In a can-soldering machine, the combination of carrier G, having rods h, rails H,

'guides E D D' D2 K, acid-trough B, solderi trough G', means to keep the solder hot, and organized reversing mechanism L, to turn the can end for end, substantially as and for the purpose speciiied.

l2. In a can-soldering machine, the combination of carrier G, having rods h, rails H, guides E D D' D2 K, acid-trough B, soldertrough C', means to keep the solder hot, feedarm, and means to intermittently vibrate it, jaws L', and means to give them intermittent semi-revolutions, substantially as and for the purpose specified. I3. In a can-soldering machine, the combination of carrier G, having rods 7n' rails H, guides E D D' D K, bar di, acid-trough B, solder-trough C', means to keep the solder hot, jaws L', and means to give them intermittent semi-revolutions, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

llt. The combination of soldertrough C', means to keep the solder hot, stationary guides for the can, spring-pressure guide J, having a V-shaped guiding-groove, and means to move the can, substantially as and for the purpose speciied.

I5. The combination of guides for the can, jaws L', secured to heads L2, having grooves R and shafts Z, pin Si, cam-heads L3, having grooves S S', and pins R', and sleeve Z2, and wheels. 1*, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

16. The combination of guides for the can, jaws L', secured to heads L2, having grooves R and shafts Z, pin Si, cam heads L3, having grooves S S, and pins R', and sleeve Z2, friction devices to prevent shafts Z'from spinning, and wheels I4, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

17. The combination of guides for the cam.

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Springs T, adjusting-screws W, and Wheels I, iier adapted to push the can forward, and desulostantially as and for the purpose specified. l vices to turn the said can a semi-revolution 19. The combination of guides for the can, i at one operation, so as to present the unsol- 15 jaws-L', secured to heads L2, having; grooves dered seams in succession .to said soldering R and shafts Z, pin S2, cam-heads L", having,` appliances, substantially as und for the purgrooves S S and pins R', sleeve Z2, friction I pose specified.

devices to prevent shafts Z from spinning, nd- In testimony of which invention hereunto justingscrews VV,- and Wheels l", substantially set my hand.

as and for the purpose specie j FRANK V. EDVARDS. Io 20. In a. can-soldering machine, guides to Witnesses:

support a can, and means to apply solder to R. M. HUNTER,

its seams, in combination with an endless czu- FRANCIS S. BROWN. 

